Jose Ortega

Ortega split his 2013 season between Triple-A Toledo and Detroit. He was dominant in 40 appearances with the Mud Hens, finishing with an 1.86 ERA and 10.5 K/9 in 48.1 innings. His 11-game stint in Detroit wasn’t quite on that level, but Ortega still finished with a decent 3.86 ERA and 10:6 K:BB ratio in 11 appearances out of the Tigers’ bullpen. The 25-year-old has a power arm and projects to work the middle innings once he sticks permanently at the major league level. His fastball hovers in the mid-90s with the ability to ramp up to 97 mph, and he also sports an average slider. While he sports the necessary two-pitch repertoire to be effective, Ortega has battled control issues throughout his development. His 6.2 BB/9 was an improvement over 2012, but he’ll need to cut that mark down significantly to receive consistent work in the majors. The Tigers will likely give Ortega a long look this spring, but he could be ticketed for another stint in Toledo to work on his control.